The “Circular Industry Demonstrator” pilot plant is the first of its kind in Spain and Europe. It has been develop by INESCOP, Centro Tecnológico del Calzado, AITEX, Centro Tecnológico del Textil, y AIJU, Centro Tecnológico del Juguete and, as mentioned, financed by IVACE and co-finance by UE (ERDF). The Councillor for Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Labour, Rafa Climent, visits the Circular Industry Demonstrator, an innovative pilot plant for the recovery of waste and its transformation into raw materials that can be used to manufacture products with low environmental impact, together with the Ivace Director General, Júlia Company. 

The "Circular Industry Demonstrator" is capable of recycling multi-composition products (those that use, on average, around 40 different materials) that end up in landfills or incinerated. In fact, it is estimated that in the Valencia Region, only 5% of footwear, textile and toy waste is recycled each year. Nationally, it is estimated that around 3 million tonnes of footwear, textile and toy waste end up in landfills. Moreover, trends predict that footwear, textile and toy consumption will multiply by 2050. 

With the use of this technology, companies will be able to accomplish the new waste law by reducing their waste, reuse their surpluses, both for their own manufacturing and to convert them into raw materials that can be used in other sectors such as furniture or automotive, and improve their carbon footprint, thus becoming a circular company. 

Having in account the statistics/data, we can highlight the importance of this new initiative supported by IVACE, which benefits will not only the sector but also the whole region. As a pilot, the "Circular Industry Demonstrator" will become a key element for the knowledge and development of waste recycling management as well as an achievement for the Circular economy goals. 

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